The Washington Capitals and forward Tomas Fleischmann have avoided arbitration, which was scheduled for July 28, by agreeing to a one-year deal. According to Capitals Insider the deal is worth $2.6 million.
Fleischmann, 26, is coming off a career year in which he scored 23 goals and 28 assists for 51 points. However, for the third consecutive season he was a relative non-factor in the postseason, drawing the ire of Caps fans who wondered why he was getting so much ice time.
Whether he is the answer to the Capitals hole at second line center remains to be seen, but both the team and Fleischmann must be relieved to avoid an arbitration hearing that was destined to be anything from pleasant. Here's a simulation of what that might have looked like had it come to that, via Japers' Rink.